A PATIENT died from swine flu after being taken into a walk-in centre instead of A&E in a cost-cutting move by NHS chiefs, it emerged today.

A PATIENT died from swine flu after being taken into a walk-in centre instead of A&E in a cost-cutting move by NHS chiefs, it emerged today.

Solihull NHS Primary Care Trust (PCT) urged paramedics to take more patients to walk-in centres instead of A&E in a bid to save the NHS £75,000.

But within three months of it starting, a young adult with flu-like symptoms was taken to the walk-in centre and ended up dying from swine flu, an end of year project report to the PCT revealed.

Clare Rippin, PCT project manager, reported: “Activity figures started to decrease from January due to two West Midlands Ambulance Service diverts to walk-in centres in Birmingham ending up with adverse events through no fault of the ambulance crews.

“One case was a young adult presenting with flu-like symptoms, which ended up being a case of swine flu which was fatal.”

No-one was immediately available from Solihull NHS Primary Care Trust.

But John Lister, from the Health Emergency campaign group, labelled the move “ridiculous and dangerous”.

“Any policy to save money like this will cost lives,” said Mr Lister. “It is absurd and crazy. If it is appropriate to put someone in an ambulance, they should be taken to A&E. A walk-in centre is for people who are well enough to walk in.”

The cost of taking a patient to Solihull walk-in centre is £30 for Solihull PCT and £180 for other PCTs, compared to £581 to go to an A&E medical assessment unit.

From October to March, Solihull PCT saved £53,549 by reducing A&E numbers while Birmingham and Warwickshire PCTs, who had to pay for patients from their areas being treated within Solihull, saved £21,654.

The order for paramedics to avoid taking “non-urgent and non life-threatening” patients to A&E started on October 1 last year but, despite the death, the PCT is forging ahead with its plans and reported a new manager in Solihull was working with paramedics to ensure they continued with the PCT’s request.

Solihull PCT’s finances have been in dire straits with NHS West Midlands health authority forced to give the trust cash. The trust ended the financial year £6 million short of its £17.3 million savings plan set by the Government.

Birmingham had the first major outbreak of the H1N1 swine flu virus in England which led to the death of several children and adults from Birmingham.

A West Midlands Ambulance Spokesman said: “The Service is committed to providing the most appropriate treatment for the patient in each and every case whether that be transporting them to A&E or using an alternative care pathway.

“In 2009-10 69 per cent of patients were taken to hospital. This reduced to 67 per cent in 2010-11 and is expected to fall to 60 per cent within five years. This will be achieved by better clinical triage of callers, development of a directory of alternative services and by providing staff with additional training.”